Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Ohio State Buckeyes elite five-star commitment dumps a bucket of cold water on prized LSU recruit’s idea of him flipping

Originally posted on A to Z Sports | By Brandon Little | Last updated Jul 11, 2025 7:17 PM ET

The Ohio State Buckeyes have a pair of five-star commitments in the class of 2026, part of a group of 21 total recruits. According to 247Sports, Ohio State currently holds the No. 6 recruiting class in the country for 2026.

One team that’s been hot on the recruiting trail lately is the LSU Tigers. The Tigers recently landed a big commitment from five-star defensive lineman Lamar Brown, and the newest LSU pledge quickly set his sights on flipping one of Ohio State’s five-star commitments.

Not so fast.

Blaine Bradford shuts down LSU flip speculation

Ohio State cornerback Jermaine Mathews responded to On3’s Hayes Fawcett’s Instagram post, asking for the idea of Bradford flipping to LSU to stop. Bradford chimed in himself, essentially agreeing with Mathews and all but quieting the rumors.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Hayes Fawcett (@hayesfawcett3)

Blaine Bradford responds to speculation that he could flip his commitment from Ohio State to LSU pic.twitter.com/daiDlMkD3Z
— BoominBuckeyesMedia (@BoominBuckeyes) July 11, 2025

Bradford, who committed to Ohio State in March, is ranked as the No. 3 safety in the 2026 class. Brown, the No. 1 player in the state of Louisiana, chose to stay home—and now he wants the No. 2 player in the state, Bradford, to do the same.

The Buckeyes already have four-star Simeon Caldwell committed at safety and are making a strong push for five-star Bralan Womack. With Caleb Downs likely heading to the NFL after this season, the Buckeyes appear to be in a strong position at safety moving forward. Adding Faheem Delane to the mix last cycle was key for the Buckeyes.

Ohio State hasn’t suffered any major decommitments or flips this cycle, and it doesn’t appear that Blaine Bradford will be the first.

This article first appeared on A to Z Sports and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: